


intimate geographies

by boundinshallows (museme87)



Category: Peaky Blinders (TV)
Genre: Actual Horse Girls Tommy and May, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Bathing/Washing, Booty Calls, Camping, Children, Developing Relationship, Domestic Fluff, Drabble Collection, Established Relationship, F/M, Family Dynamics, First Meetings, Fix-It, Horses, Light Angst, Married Couple, May/Husband (past), Morning After, Pregnancy, Romantic Fluff
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-08-09
Updated: 2020-10-15
Packaged: 2021-03-06 06:53:46
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 14
Words: 1,400
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25799260
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/museme87/pseuds/boundinshallows
Summary: A collection of 100 Tommy/May drabbles. The title of each chapter reflects the prompt.
Relationships: May Carleton/Tommy Shelby
Comments: 60
Kudos: 43





	1. First Impression

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Their first encounter.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Set during 2.03 when Tommy and May first meet at the horse auction. Apparently the man with her is her father (based on later dialogue)? Who knew.
> 
> For the purposes of this collection, May's husband's name was Robert; however, they never gave him a name (to my knowledge) in canon.

Her father’s paper signals their intent to the auctioneer, drawing the man’s attention from across the balcony. May feels his eyes on _her_ and turns to meet his gaze. 

He’s as fine as his profile suggested, sharp cheekbones and square jaw. His expression a mask. Indifferent, perhaps, or annoyed. Maybe nothing of the sort. 

May warms, a spark flickering in her belly and thawing the frozen wasteland that has been her life since Robert died. 

The man shifts and nods to the auctioneer. May moves closer to her father. 

“I’ll go halves with you from the spring fund. Go, go…”


	2. Beautiful

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The first morning-after.

Just before dawn, she wakes Tommy and urges him to dress. May does not bother with her loose hair nor clean clothes; her only concern that she finds matching boots and a shawl to ward off the chill. 

They cross wide, open pasture, the dew wetting May’s shins as she pulls Tommy along. He takes the impromptu journey well, teasing her and pulling her hotly against him in turn.

He’s grazing when they find him—Galata, her grullo dun quarter horse. Tommy takes to him immediately. He whispers Romani as Galata lips at his rumpled undershirt. May swells with pride.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I shamelessly stole the idea of naming May's horse--Galata--after a horse who won the Royal Ascot in 1833. If it's good enough for canon to do that, it's good enough for me.


	3. Mock

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> May is an unwelcome guest at Arrow House and in Tommy's life.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hand-wavey late s3 or early s4, canon divergent.

“What are you doing out here?” 

She swirls the remaining gin in the bottle, registering Tommy’s concerned tone. The horses snort and hooves stamp the floor. She came here to avoid a scene, and yet…

“It would seem,” May says carefully, “that I’m the laughingstock of Warwickshire.”

“All of Warwickshire, eh?” 

“I caught Polly and Lizzie chatting.” 

“Ah, fuck.” Tommy joins her on the haybale, placing a comforting hand on her shoulder. “You can’t listen to them.” 

May shakes her head dismissively. “Robert’s mother hated me too.” She inspects the bottle. “It doesn’t live up to its label, I’m afraid.”


	4. Smile

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tommy, May, and a caravan.

When they reach the caravan, the sun has nearly set. May wanders around the campsite, taking in the rolling hills, as Tommy settles in the horses.

He steps behind her, rubbing her upper arms for warmth, and then leads her up the stairs. May marvels at the interior, colorful and elaborate. 

“It’s beautiful.” 

“Aye, it is.” He slips behind her and wraps his arms around her belly. “But I’m afraid it doesn’t have a guest wing.” 

May grins softly, settling back against him. “It doesn’t?” 

“Just the one bed.” Tommy kisses her shoulder. “And the stove doesn’t throw much heat.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It took all my self-restraint to keep this 100 words and not a sprawling 5k masterpiece of May and Tommy snuggling and fucking in the caravan, okay?


	5. Feather

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> An introduction

They walk slowly through Arrow House’s back garden, the quiet stroll only interrupted when Tommy remarks upon the property. It’s a lovely estate, and May can’t help but wonder if, in another life, she might have been its mistress. 

They’re nearing the house when they happen upon Tommy’s son, toddling happily and gathering things to place in a basket. Tommy’s glance towards her is a hesitant one, but May only nods. 

“Charlie, come say hello to Mrs. Carleton.” 

“Lovely to meet you, Charlie,” she says, crouching down. 

He offers her his prized chicken feather, which May accepts with a smile.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Charlie wasn’t unattended btw; he was with his nanny.


	6. Tease

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A shared bath.

The water is nearly fit to scald and fragrant with oils. Foregoing lights, May lit enough candles to make the bath glow warm. The atmosphere soothes; only the slightly cramped tub betrays it for any other night. 

May sinks further down and prods Tommy’s side lightly with her foot. Catching her by the ankle, he nearly upends her as he lifts her leg to plant a kiss above his fingers. 

“So what’s this big surprise, eh?” Tommy asks smirking, the pads of his fingers tickling her foot. 

She jerks away and sends a splash of bathwater in his direction. 

“Soon.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have no clue what said surprise is, so feel free to choose your own adventure!


	7. Pure

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tommy knows he's a bad man.

“You’re supposed to be on bedrest.” 

May is all too painfully aware; at this point, she’s certain a particularly hard sneeze will send her into labor. It’s frightening, but the fear might be more manageable if she didn’t feel so alone.

“My husband’s been avoiding me.” 

“May—” 

She won’t hear it. Instead, she waddles into his office and goes to sit across his lap. It’s an inelegant move. Tommy reaches out to help ease her down. 

He sighs. 

“This is a good thing, eh?” Tommy says, stroking her swollen middle with his thumb. “And I don’t want to ruin it.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm not sure that Tommy would have made a better father with May than with Grace or Lizzie. However, I feel very confident in saying that May would have had no illusions about that. If any woman has been able to see Tommy for Tommy (instead of wishing/hoping he would become someone else/better), it's May.


	8. Lie

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Reconsideration.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This drabble occurs after the scene in 4.04 when Tommy sees May off at the docks.

The call comes at dusk when he’s alone with a bottle of gin in his office. 

“Hello?” 

“You’ve not lied to me before. At least, never intentionally.” 

May. 

Tommy sighs. He’s still smarting from her rejection; he’s not been told no in a long time. It makes him want her more, the weight of regret heavy on his mind. 

“No, I haven’t,” he confirms softly. “But I’m not the man that I was.” 

“I should hope not.” 

“May, what’s this about?”

“The Midland suite. Meet me there in an hour.” 

He pauses. “And the bad?” 

“A problem for the morning.”


	9. Fight

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tommy had to tell her sometime.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Post s2, missing scene in the bad timeline (aka canon) when Tommy breaks the news to May about him and Grace.

“May?” 

There’s frustration in his tone, and she can almost imagine him running his palm down his face. May doesn’t look at him though. Instead, she stares at her lap. 

“So that’s it then, eh?” 

“How is it you would like me to behave?” she asks, weary. “Shall I cry and beat your chest with my fists? Or would you prefer I shout at you and call her all manner of things? I’m tired, Tommy. A little direction if you please.” 

“I didn’t think you’d just accept it.” 

She smiles softly, sadly. “Abandonment and I are old friends by now.”


	10. Evasion

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Domestic bliss.

“Hurry, darling!” 

In a fit of happy shrieks, Ellen bounds into the bedroom and to the far side of the room. May follows suit, not a moment to lose before Tommy’s stalking into the doorway. 

“No!” Ellen giggles, crossing the bed clumsily as if she’s drunk on laughter. “It’s a monster!” 

Before she can crawl across the bed as well, May feels Tommy’s strong arms slipping across her waist, his hands almost losing their grip on the silk of her chemise. Tommy hauls her backwards, hard against him, and kisses her fiercely on her cheek. 

“No, Mummy! He got you!”


	11. Fire

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Wedding festivities

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> FYI it's not MT's wedding, just a wedding of some Shelby cousin or some such.

“Well,” Tommy begins, sidling up to her. “Have they put you off yet?”

May smirks, watching the wedding guests dance between the tall bonfires and surrounding caravans. Everything is colorful. There are songs in Romani. The booze flows, for which Tommy must be at least partly responsible. It’s wild out here, the wind carrying the scent of damp and dying leaves. It’s unlike any wedding she's ever been to. 

“Not quite yet,” she admits, reaching for his hand. “Do you know that dance?” 

“I do.” 

“Will you teach me?

She catches a faint grin. 

“I can.” 

“Well come along then.”


	12. Ice

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Beating back the heat.

The afternoon sun beats hot outside, so they’ve decided to forego leaving this room, this bed for the day. May lies on her side next to him, propped up on her elbow, while Tommy spreads out. Biting back a smile, she dips her fingers into the half-melted bowl of ice on his other side. 

May picks up a chunk, cold water droplets dripping onto Tommy’s chest as she brings it to his lips. His belly jumps as the water runs, but that’s a distraction soon forgotten when May traces his lips with the ice. His tongue slips between them, greedy.


	13. Cheer

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The aftermath of the annual Shelby Family Holiday Party.

She sips from a mug of spiced rum and watches Charles play with his new toys near the Christmas tree. The day’s exhaustion settles in deeply, but May tries to fuel herself the festivities’ lingering merriment. 

It was a successful holiday at Arrow House from her perspective, picturesque and tasteful. Tommy asked her to take charge as the sole woman in his life who could meet the expectations of his esteemed guests. Another pair of Grace’s shoes to fill. 

Tommy joins her later, weary. 

“Well?” she asks. 

Tommy hums his approval. “Not a bloodied Shelby nose all day. Well done.”


	14. Teamwork

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Midnight domesticity

When she stirs, May finds the cradle next to her bed empty. Her breasts are heavy, threatening to leak. She throws on her dressing gown and pads down to the nursery. The soft hum and whispered words of a foreign lullaby fill her ears.

“Stolen my son, have you?” she asks, watching the tender sight.

“If I remember correctly, I had a hand in it too.” Tommy strokes their son’s fat cheek before looking up, eyes playful.

“I suppose a very minor one, yes,” she teases.

May lifts the babe from Tommy’s arms and brings him to her breast, smiling. 


End file.
